


Into The Woods

by Olivia5Hemmings



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Bottom Niall Horan, Dom Liam Payne, M/M, Narry - Freeform, Niall Horan-centric, Niam - Freeform, Nouis, Omega Niall, Prince Niall Horan, Were-Creatures, ziall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:34:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27217258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Olivia5Hemmings/pseuds/Olivia5Hemmings
Summary: Niall learns the hard way that his father is the worst ruler in existence. And unfortunately, he has to pay for it.Shapeshifters AU
Kudos: 14





	Into The Woods

Niall tossed in his bed, dreaming of a bland landscape surrounded by a thick fog. He reached a hand out and watched as his fingers disappeared into the vast whiteness. He felt the hairs on the back or his neck rise in alarm. He could barely see a foot in front of him but he knew there was something else out there.

Niall stumbled back and tripped over a small nook in the ground. His back hit the mossy floor of the forest as he flailed a hand out to catch himself. There were no sounds around him besides his gasp as the air was knocked from him. He blinked hard as the fog in front of him seemed to slowly clear, as if making a path for some unknown force.

"Niall!" The mystery boy screamed, Niall couldn't see him yet but a thin outline of a person was becoming visible. Niall scrambled to get back on his feet, eyes wide and watching where the mist was quickly dissipating. Before he could decide to run or even think of what to do, a clear path between the two boys was made. Niall could see just the top half of a very handsome man before they locked eyes. His were so stressed and scared that Niall stumbled back again. Before he could make it far, the boy was in front of him, staring intently into Niall's blue eyes that mirrored his. "I found you." The boy sighed in relief, his hands reaching to gently cup Niall's face.

Niall was frozen, unable to flinch away or yell. Oddly enough, he didn't want to. The hands felt like they were made to touch Niall and the sudden tears in the strangers eyes made his heart twist painfully. Niall tried to rack his brain for some sort of resemblance but he knew that he did not know this man. He could feel that the boy was a shapeshifter - a strong one at that - but he couldn't feel what he was. Being the prince of all shiftshapers meant that he was not only going to rule the kingdom when he was older but it also meant that when the time came, he could choose who he wanted to be. He wasn't born an animal like everyone else, he had dragon blood running through his veins - the oldest dragon to ever exist, the first one - his family all the way back to the first shapeshifters had this ability. He could sense the animal in anyone but this stranger.

"I know you don't understand but I don't have time to explain. I'm risking everything by just being here now." The man was speaking again and Niall hung on his every word. He felt connected, his skin buzzing with electricity wherever their skin touched. He spoke fast as he continued, "Something bad is going to happen to you Niall and I need you to promise me - as weird as this sounds - not to take a walk in the garden. Please Niall, tell me you won't!" He gripped Niall's shoulders when he just opened and closed his mouth, staring wide eyed up at the man who seemed to be shaking nonsense into him.

"Who-who are you?" Niall managed to stutter out, trying to get the boy to stay as long as possible. The fog was starting to thicken again, closing in around them as Niall found himself nodding just to get rid of the stress in the boys face, the depths of sadness in his eyes.

The smallest of smiles broke across his face but it was more painful to watch then if he had just started crying. He cleared his throat once, twice, before shaking his head and pulling Niall's face to his. Their lips crashed together, a gasp of surprise coming from Niall. The mystery man pulled Niall to him tightly, gripping his hair as if he would never touch another human again. He pulled away just as fast, smiling painfully again; "If everything goes right, someone you'll never meet." He whispered it softly against Niall's lips and when he pulled away the fog came crashing down between them.

"Wait!" Niall yelled, reaching his hands out but all he could see was the endless white abyss ahead of him. His hands reached for shadows that were no longer there. His stumbling feet ran faster, hoping to catch up to the boy but he was alone again.

Niall fell to his knees on the forest floor. His heart was racing and he was confused, not to mention lost. He couldn't remember how he had gotten here, he remembered being in the castle.

His fingers dug into the dirt below him, he hadn't a clue what to do next. He was so caught up in his thoughts he almost missed the way the earth shook. It started out small but gradually grew until Niall was no longer on his knees by choice. The shaking ground was followed by a loud clanging that shook Niall to the bones. Before he could open his mouth to scream, he opened his eyes to the real world.

Niall was lying in his large bed, fit for the future king he would grow into. He blinked a few times at the ceiling, looking over to the large grandfather clock in the corner that was now telling him it was midnight. His fingers twisted into the satin sheets, gripping tighter at every gasp of breath he had to take. His heart was still beating fast. When he calmed down enough to get up, he wrapped his robe that was hanging by the bed around himself. He shuffled over to the french doors leading to his private balcony, hesitating when his hand touched the doorknob. He needed some air, he had a cold sweat running down his body, but the strangers voice from his dream was echoing in his head. Why couldn't Niall take a walk in the gardens? He always did this time at night because the dreams usually came at this time of night.

His hand started to shake as he flipped the lock instead. The gardens were just outside his door and his father had told him to always trust his dreams. Because they weren't always just dreams. Niall had only ever had four in his entire life, a dream that didn't feel so much like a dream. He could still feel the rocks on the ground crunch under his feet, the scrapes on his hands burn as he rubbed them together anxiously.

He was stunned when he flicked the light on, no longer wanting the moonlights ray to be the only source of light in his otherwise dark room. His palms had small cuts that hadn't been there the night before. They looked as if he really had taken a fall.

It was too much for Niall's sleep muddled brain to process so late at night. He stupidly stumbled back towards his french doors, unlocking them with shaking hands. He shoved the doors open roughly, gulping in the fresh air. A dream was just a dream he told himself. Or maybe he was scared to never meet the boy if it was. He needed air before the panic attack he felt building finally boiled over.

Whatever the reason Niall had for stepping into the garden, he regretted it instantly.


End file.
